Colts’ Backfield Finds New Life With Dan Herron

The Indianapolis Colts received a very promising performance from running back Dan Herron.

When Ahmad Bradshaw went down with a broken leg and it was announced that he would miss the remainder of the season, the Indianapolis Colts immediately knew that they needed a new player to step up. They tried to claim running back Ben Tate off of waivers, but that didn’t work out. After that, they decided not to pursue any of the other free agent options.

Dan “Boom” Herron was the only other running back on the roster for the Colts, and he stepped up and had a very nice game against the Jacksonville Jaguars with his expanded role.

Herron ended up carrying the football 12 times for 65 yards, and showed a good amount of quickness which is exactly what the Colts needed from him. He isn’t exactly like Bradshaw, but he has the same type of reckless approach to the defense that Bradshaw has all season long.

At just 25 years of age, Herron is trying to prove that he can be a starting caliber running back. The Colts simply do not have much faith in Trent Richardson, and Herron is taking advantage of that fact. Following his performance against the Jaguars, he could see even more usage coming up over the next few weeks.

Needless to say, Indianapolis will continue needing him to step up like he did for the remainder of the season. They have plenty of faith in him now that he has come through in his first game, and they also liked what they saw during preseason action.

Chuck Pagano has always believed in the “next man up” system, and that is exactly what Herron was able to do. He may not be the most talented running back in the NFL, but he has a lot of heart and even more athletic potential. The Colts will continue giving him playing time, and he will continue growing as a player as he sees more action on the field.

While no real positives can be taken from the injury to Bradshaw, the Colts may very well have found a player that will continue producing for them for a few years at least. He has the potential to turn into a serviceable NFL starter, and the Colts will evaluate him for the future with his play this year. It will be intriguing to see what numbers he continues to put up with his chance this season.